Monday

This week is not the time to be taking fire safety lightly, said Hutchinson Deputy Fire Chief Doug Hanen.

The dry conditions played a part in half of the four fires reported locally Sunday, and Hanen said the risk is still out there.

“It’s extremely dry out there…one rain is not going to solve our problem.”

Firefighters responded to Hutchinson’s first Sunday grass fire at approximately 3:45 p.m. in the 800 block of North Kent Road. The fire, which engulfed approximately half an acre, was quickly contained. Hanen said it started after an occupant of the home was burning trash and the fire got away from him.

Crews arrived to the second grass fire of the afternoon, in the 3600 block of North Lucille Drive, shortly before 6 p.m. Hanen said he wasn’t sure exactly when the fire started, however firefighters found approximately half an acre of very thick brush burning less than half a mile off of the road.

The dry conditions played a large role in the Lucille Drive fire, Hanen said, as the fire started in very short maintained grass and quickly spread to a cabin because of nearby tall brush. The cause of the fire, Hanen said, was a squirrel getting into a transformer, which created sparks that set the grass on fire.

Hanen said years of drought plus brush in the county means “there’s a lot of fuel out there” for fires to start.

The fire on Lucille Drive caused approximately $5,000 worth of damage to the cabin, which experienced some charring on the floor.

Hanen cautioned residents be extremely careful with outdoor burning, and the National Weather Service forecast backs up his advice. According the NWS, “very high to extreme grassland fire danger is likely” on Wednesday and Thursday in Reno County.

Hanen also advised people to stay far away from fires while driving in the area. He said increased traffic in the Prairie Dunes area to see what was happening with the fire on Lucille Drive not only made fighting the flames more difficult for crews, but is dangerous for the onlookers. Flames can spread or jump quickly, he said, and because of decreased visibility due to smoke, crews may not be able to see people nearby.

“Usually there is very little to see up close that cannot be seen miles from the incident,” he said.

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